Panasonic Avccam AG-AF100A Series Brochure page 7

The Camera Section Features a Four Thirds Image Sensor and Design Especially for Video Use, Appro
Adopt Micro Four Thirds
The AG-AF100A Series
adopts the Micro Four Thirds
standards. These standards
were announced in 2008 as
an extension of the Four Thirds standards for
DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras.
Panasonic and some other manufactures
have already released a number of digital
cameras and interchangeable lenses based
on the Micro Fourth Thirds standards.
The "Four Thirds" name is derived from the
4/3-type (approx. 17.3 mm x 13 mm/ approx.
0.68 inches x 0.51 inches) image sensor. The
size of the image sensor, the standardized
lens mount developed for it, and
interchangeable lenses designed exclusively
for digital cameras form the core of the Four
Thirds standards. These standards were
established to offer an optimal solution for
digital cameras, breaking loose the confines
of film camera standards. In establishing the
Micro Four Thirds standards, the flange back
distance (the distance from the lens mount
surface to the image sensor) was reduced by
about half and the mount diameter was made
about 6 mm (0.24 inches) smaller than that of
the Four Thirds mount. The image sensor size
is the same as that of the 4/3 type used in the
Four Thirds standard. The Micro Four Thirds
standards have made it possible to reduce
the size and weight of cameras and lenses,
and to achieve greater interchangeability of
lenses together with video recording
capability.
MICRO
FOUR THIRDS
FOUR THIRDS
Comparison of Image Sensor Standards
22 mm (7/8 inches)
35 mm Cinema Film
4/3-type MOS Image Sensor
The 4/3-type MOS image sensor in the
AG-AF100A Series has about the same
imaging area* as that of 35mm cinema film.
The depth of field and the focal range are
also close to those of film cameras. With the
AG-AF100A Series, you can record beautiful,
shallow depth of field, film-like images.
The MOS sensor has two control lines as
compared to the three lines required by a
conventional CMOS sensor, thus providing a
larger light receiving area. This has achieved
a high level of sensitivity rivaling that of a
CCD sensor. Extensive noise reduction
measures are also employed, such as
embedded photodiodes isolated from noise
sources and low-voltage operation. By
guiding more light to the pixels, the
AG-AF100A Series achieves a wide dynamic
range and detailed gradation with minimal
blocked shadows or blown highlights in
high-contrast scenes, for true-to-life textures
and rich colors.
* The effective imaging area is trimmed to a 16:9 aspect
ratio.
MOS sensor of AG-AF100A series
Receptor ratio 50%
Receptor Circuit
Pixel
CMOS sensor
Receptor ratio 35%
Receptor
Circuit
Pixel
CCD sensor
Receptor ratio 50%
Receptor Transfer
Pixel
17.3 mm (11/16 inches)
9.6 mm (3/8 inches)
4/3-type Image Sensor 2/3-type Image Sensor
* Numerical values shown are approximate.
A Low-Pass Filter for High-Quality
HD Motion Images
The AG-AF100A Series' optical low-pass
filter is optimized for HD motion images and
reduces the aliasing noise that often occurs
in motion images captured by an image
sensor with a high pixel density. In addition,
the MOS image sensor is scanned at a high
speed in order to minimize skew distortion.
High-Performance 18 bit DSP
The AG-AF100A Series is equipped with a
high-performance 18 bit digital signal
processor (DSP) for image processing.
Optimized for HD video recording, the DSP
handles various image rendering processes,
such as dynamic range stretch
(DRS), gamma, 12-axis